NEW YORK -- James Harden was back in the lineup, Jeremy Lin was back at Madison Square Garden, and that was just enough to help the Houston Rockets withstand Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks. Harden scored 36 points in his return from a one-game absence, and the Rockets overcame Anthonys 45 points for a 109-106 victory Thursday night. Anthony had the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season and grabbed 10 rebounds, but it wasnt enough for the Knicks in their fourth straight home loss. Chandler Parsons added 22 points and Lin had 21 for the Rockets, who beat the Knicks for the eighth straight time even on a mostly silent night from Dwight Howard, largely outplayed by Andrea Bargnani. "Jeremy stepped up, James played big and thats what we need," Howard said. Howard had just seven points with his 15 rebounds, though he did make a pair of free throws with 1:15 left that gave Houston a five-point lead. Harden, who missed the Rockets 123-117 overtime loss in Philadelphia on Wednesday with a bruised left foot, scored seven straight Houston points for nine-point lead with 3:51 left. He finished 16 of 18 at the line. But there was plenty of excitement left, including Anthony just missing a potential four-point play when the Rockets fouled him intentionally behind the arc leading by three with 5 seconds left. Anthony threw the ball up and it went in, but officials ruled it came after Harden fouled him. The Rockets hadnt fouled in similar situations lately, and both Toronto and Philadelphia made late 3s to force them into overtime. "It seems like that has happened a lot to us lately. Last-second shots. The first two times you know we didnt foul and they made big 3s. Tonight a foul and they still made a big 3," Harden said. Not quite. Knicks coach Mike Woodson wanted referees to review the call, though it isnt reviewable, and Anthony wouldnt say if he believed it should have counted. "My thoughts dont mean anything at this point in time," said Anthony, who did express his frustration with some of the calls Harden received. "It really doesnt matter right now for me to say whether I thought it was a good call or not. So therefore we move on from that." Anthony made both free throws -- he was trying to miss the second intentionally -- but Harden answered with a pair to make it 109-106 with 2.9 seconds to play, and J.R. Smith was well off with a long-distance heave at the buzzer. Bargnani scored 24 points for the Knicks and played surprisingly strong defence on Howard, who shot 1 of 5. Smith scored 15 points in his second start but shot just 4 of 16 for the Knicks, who also cost themselves when Anthonys intentional foul on Howard away from the ball came with under 2 minutes left, allowing the Rockets to retain possession. Lin, back to coming off the bench after starting Wednesday in Hardens place, has won both games back at MSG, where he burst onto the worldwide scene two years ago during his memorable run of Linsanity. Lin came in on another nice roll, scoring 65 points in his previous two games, the best two-game stretch of his career. But the Rockets wasted his 34-point, 12-assist game Wednesday that featured a Rockets record-tying nine 3-pointers. "We played more as a team today," Lin said. "We really moved the ball, shared the ball. We played really unselfish today and we also did what we needed to do defensively." Houston led 28-23 after one and was starting to run away with it when it opened a 49-35 lead during Parsons run of 11 straight Rockets points. But he didnt score the rest of the half after his driving dunk with 3:10 left, and Anthony and Bargnani combined for three 3-pointers during a 13-2 run to close the half and cut it to 53-52. "Weve let four games in a row at home get away, thats something we hadnt done since Ive been here," Woodson said. "Thats kind of frustrating from a coachs standpoint, but were still learning each other and trying to figure it out, and we will eventually." NOTES: Center Omer Asik didnt play for the Rockets after the Houston Chronicle reported he had requested a trade. He had been starting along with Howard until coach Kevin McHale scrapped the alignment. McHale said Asik told him he didnt feel well and that he hadnt heard about any rumours. ... Rockets backup forward Greg Smith left with what appeared to be a right leg injury following an awkward landing after playing just 40 seconds in the first quarter. Leonard Floyd Jersey . Sure, Josh Browns 45-yard field goal on the third drive of overtime lifted the New York Giants to a 23-20 win over Detroit on Sunday. But the Lions (7-8) dropped themselves out of the NFC North race by losing five of their last six games, blowing fourth-quarter leads in each setback. Patrick Scales Jersey . - David Tomasek had two goals in regulation time and was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Belleville Bulls upset the Oshawa Generals 6-5 on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.cheapbearsjerseysauthentic.co...n-hester-jersey. When a game is in the balance, however, they still have the personnel and the experience to end up with the two points. Jonathon Mincy Jersey . - Chris Davis hit a two-run double, scoring Nelson Cruz in his Orioles debut in Baltimores 9-7 win over to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. Elliott Fry Jersey .The surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia.Letestu had three goals and two assists in nine games before being injured in late October.The 29-year-old has 54 goals and 65 assists in 273 career NHL games, including 39 goals and 51 assists in 188 games with the Blue Jackets.MONTREAL -- Montreal Impact management are confident that new coach Frank Klopas will get the team back on track after a horrendous start to the Major League Soccer season. Sporting director Nick De Santis said Thursday that Klopas has done a good job preparing the club for games and that he still has the players support. The winless Impact (0-4-3), who were leading the league at this time last season, are last in MLS heading into a home game Saturday against the Philadelphia Union. "The coaches, I can guarantee you, from the first day have done good work," said De Santis. "You can see the intensity from the players in every practice. "Yes theres tension and pressure, less confidence, but thats pro sports. I think the team believes in the coach and will come out of this." There has been speculation about Klopas future among fans and media as the winless run to start the season -- the worst in the teams 21-year history including its pre-MLS days -- drags on. It hit a fever pitch after last weeks 4-0 loss at Kansas City. If Klopas is feeling the pressure, he didnt show it. "I know its about results," he said. "Im not here to make excuses. "Im very thankful to be part of this organization. I think Nick and all of us work hard. Thats all I can do. I dont think about the other stuff. The only thing I can do is prepare the team and make sure we do as well as we can to get the team back on track." The Impact will play their first game on the grass field at Saputo Stadium after three home games indoors at Olympic Stadium, where they had a loss and two draws. Another defeat -- in the first meeting between the clubs since Montreal sent Andrew Wenger to Philadelphia for Jack McInerney in a swap of strikers last month -- would put more heat on Klopas, the former Chicago Fire boss who replaced the fired Marco Schallibaum in December. There has also been criticism of De Santis, who made no major off-season moves despite a late-season tailspin and a one-sided loss to Houston in the first round of playoffs in 2013. "I understand the frustration," said De Santis. "Im from Montreal. "I live here every day and I know how people feel. They have a right to criticize and Im in a position where I have to accept that. But Im very confident in this team and that, with a few additions, we can improve this team." Since the start of training camp, the Impact have added former New York fullback Heath Pierce, little used forward Santiago Gonzalez, and made the McInerney trade. De Santis said he is looking at adding a third designated pllayer to go with striker Marco Di Vaio and midfielder Hernan Bernardello, and that he has his sights on Argentine midfielder Ignacio Piatti.dddddddddddd He wont be able to sign anyone until the July transfer period, however. In the meantime, the Impact have been pleading for patience. Team president Joey Saputo wrote this week on Twitter: "Very frustrating start to the season. We need and will turn this around. Lets stay focused and determined. More than ever, we need our fans." Despite their record, the Impact are only five points out of a playoff spot as the entire Eastern Conference has had trouble winning. Kansas City and Columbus share the conference lead with 11 points, including only three wins each in six games. De Santis said that missing Di Vaio for the opening three games to a suspension and injuries to Bernardello and midfielder Sanna Nyassi have hurt. He said the team has also been unlucky and could have won a game or two that slipped away. Missing injured central defenders Nelson Rivas and Adrian Lopez has also been a problem as veteran Matteo Ferrari has found himself working with youngsters most weeks. Lopez, who blew out a knee after only one game for Montreal last summer, had his first full-field practice Thursday, but is not yet ready to play. The oft-injured Rivas looked ready to return two weeks ago, but is back to running laps during practice. Ferrari said he hasnt given up hope. "I like the coach and the job hes doing because hes very professional," the former AS Roma and Everton defender said. "He likes the details and he prepares the game well. "Theres nothing I can say negative. If I look at the standings, its bad, but the first place team has three wins, not five or six. So lets win a couple of games and then well be talking about something else." Klopas also talked about Jeb Brovsky, a workhorse under Schallibaum last season who became a fan favourite for his toughness and his extensive work for charities and other causes. The third-year fullback has spent most of the seasos[/url] ' ' '